Hello, Boozhoo, Bonjour.
Let me begin this month by speaking to the increase in respiratory and influenza type illnesses we are already seeing and expect to see more of. To further assist with patient flow, and to be proactive in preventing outbreaks in our in-patient units, this week we introduced new masking protocols. The staged move is to help us combat the increase in respiratory and influenza type illnesses that have been far too prevalent this year within our city and northern communities. The increased requirements are temporary and you will likely see changes in protocols throughout the next few months as the amount of illnesses fluctuates. Please familiarize yourself and patients with the new protocols, which can be found here.
On the positive side, I do have to say October saw our people celebrating many successes and I was fortunate to take in some of the events that really highlighted your many talents and passion to do things better. The Quality Huddles and Sharing and Caring Together are just a few things that come to mind, but I know there are many other operational activities that are unit specific and are making a positive impact on patient care. While I am acutely aware of the system-wide challenges we continue to face each and every day, it is essential to recognize the great work by so many within our Hospital and Health Research Institute.
As mentioned, the Sharing and Caring Together event was a real success this year and we had departments from across our organizations taking part in the events and displays throughout the exhibition. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the exhibitors explain their efforts to improve patient engagement and experience. Thank you so much for your efforts and for bringing awareness to our core philosophy of care. It was also great to see such amazing community support and contributions from many businesses and volunteers to make this event so spectacular. I truly hope you had a chance to take in some of the activities and it re-energized your commitment to Patient and Family Centred Care. Like many focused within this video your work is so important to ensuring a positive patient experience.
As mentioned back in August, a Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) was implemented in the Emergency Department over the last few weeks. To date, the CDU has been successful in reducing unnecessary hospital admissions by applying short-term monitoring, investigation and treatment assistance to patients. This has resulted in the improvement of patient flow within the ED and beyond.
Dr. Rosie North, Medical Director, Emergency Department Operations was instrumental with the implementation and ongoing operations of the CDU and monitors the admission criteria used for patients that are admitted to the unit to ensure patients are benefitting from the CDU approach. With pre-printed direct order sets and the specialized CDU team, we are meeting our compliance needs and providing beneficial and efficient care to patients. Thank you to the team and Dr. Rosie North for your leadership.
I would like to acknowledge and recognize the impact of Meditech downtime and the extra work created for you. I am pleased to hear that throughout the month of October, we made it through this cycle of upgrades without too much inconvenience. Don’t get me wrong, I know it did affect clinical operations in various ways. However, I believe it was handled well through frontline clinical staff – so please know your extra efforts and patience were the reason for notable success. We know these upgrades are essential to bringing you closer to a more streamlined and efficient Electronic Medical Record. Thank you all for the extra work.
If you have the time in your busy work and personal schedules, I hope you take the opportunity to attend the private viewing of “A Sobering Story”, a documentary about substance use in Thunder Bay. The event is being held at SilverCity Cinema and will include an opportunity for Q&A after the viewing. The story narrative is one that is far too familiar across our community and I am pleased with all the efforts and activities that continue to be done within our Hospital to reduce and eliminate stigma with substance use and addictions.
We are all leaders in healthcare as we support our community and those who need care. It does not matter what your role is within our Hospital and Health Research Institute as together we are focused on the same vision. To help us build our future, please do not forget that “Take Our Kids to Work Day” is coming up on November 6th. This day is an opportunity to inspire and attract our future healthcare workers. Please support this day and encourage today’s kids to focus their mindset as a healthcare professional. Recruiting can never be too early and we welcome all of our participants this year across our Hospital and the Health Research Institute.
As always, I invite you to provide me your feedback on these blogs or on any other matter. You can contact me at: rhonda.ellacott@tbh.net. I enjoy hearing from you.
